The invention relates to a retractable top for a motor vehicle, comprising a first and a second main link, a rear roof part, said rear roof part being connected to said first main link, a rear-window part, said rear-window part being associated with an aperture in said rear roof part in a closed position of the top, and a link mechanism.
In the construction of modern convertibles, increasing use is being made of more complex convertible tops, which are constructed, in particular, as multi-part hard-shell retractable tops. Since such retractable tops are used not only on sports vehicles but also for conventional saloons, there are higher requirements with regard to keeping a sufficient luggage-space volume available, even in the open state of the top. Moreover, rear windows made of glass or a hard transparent plastic are increasingly being used on the convertible tops mentioned, making it necessary to deposit these sensitive rear windows in a specially protected location when the top is in an open position.
DE 196 42 152 A1 describes a motor vehicle with a roof that can be lowered, which is divided into a front, a central and a rear section, which can be moved from a common closed position, in which they cover the interior of the vehicle, into an open position, being deposited in a retractable-top compartment at the rear. In this case, a rigid rear window is associated with the rear section of the roof, the rigid rear window being lowered away from the rear section of the roof by means of an additional driving device before a process in which the convertible top is opened. Separate pivoting of a rear window in this way is associated with increased weight, higher costs and a greater space requirement owing to the additional driving device.
EP 0 956 990 A2 describes a motor-vehicle top that can be opened and has a rear roof part and a front roof part connected in an articulated manner to the latter, a rear window being connected in such a way at a joint to the rear roof part that, in a closed state of the top, the rear window is fitted into the rear roof part and, during an opening movement of the top, is pivoted relative to the rear roof part about an axis that runs essentially through the centre of the rear window. In this case, the rear window is rotated essentially through 180xc2x0 relative to the rear roof part, with the result that, in a lowered position of the top, the rear window is arranged with a convexity opposite to that of the rear roof part. The disadvantage with such pivoting of the rear window of a top that can be opened is that the seal of the rear window relative to the rear roof part is divided at the level of the pivoting axis running essentially centrally through the rear window. In the closed state of the top, the rear window is guided against the rear roof part from the inside above the pivoting axis and from the outside below the pivoting axis in relation to the seal.
It is an object of the invention to provide a retractable top for a motor vehicle in which a rear window can be pivoted into a protected position in a simple manner during an opening process of the top, without its own driving device.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a retractable top for a motor vehicle, comprising a first and a second main link, a rear roof part, said rear roof part being connected to said first main link a rear-window part, said rear-window part being associated with an aperture in said rear roof part in a closed position of the top, and a link mechanism, said rear-window part being fixed in an articulated manner on the first main link, said rear-window part being connected to the second main link by said link mechanism, and said articulated fixing of the rear-window part on the first main link being provided at an end of said rear-window part.
In this case, the rear-window part is advantageously fitted in an aperture in the rear roof part of the retractable top in a closed state of the top, is connected pivotally to this rear roof part or a main link connected to the latter, and is connected to the second main link by means of a link mechanism, with the result that the movements of the top""s linkage that take place in any case during an opening process of the retractable top can advantageously be used to control the pivotable rear-window part and it is possible to dispense with additional driving devices.
It is furthermore particularly advantageous that a roof segment is provided which likewise fits into the aperture in the rear roof part in the closed state of the top and is fixed on the link mechanism. This means that the roof segment can likewise be pivoted away from the rear roof part during a closing movement of the retractable top, with the result that the aperture in the rear roof part leads to the formation of an end that is open in part. During the opening movement of the top, the roof segment is rotated relative to the rear-window part or rear roof part by means of the link mechanism and is deposited in a space-saving manner above the rear-window part or rear roof part in the open end position.
In an advantageous embodiment of the retractable top according to the invention, the rear roof part can be deposited in a rear area of the vehicle together with the other parts of the top, the open end of the rear roof part essentially pointing downwards, with the result that a through-loading space is formed in the rear area of the vehicle by the aperture. A protected deposited position of the rear window and an enlarged storage volume in the area of the luggage space of the vehicle is thus advantageously achieved at the same time through the pivoting of the rear-window part and the roof segment. The through-loading space is advantageously maintained during the entire movement of the retractable top, with the result that objects deposited in the luggage space for transportation do not have to be removed before opening or closing the top.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the two main links of the retractable top also serve to control a central roof part and a front roof part connected to the latter by a mechanism. In this case, the front, central and rear roof part are arranged as a roof above a passenger compartment in the closed state, the front roof part being embodied in such a way that it can be raised and moved over the central roof part during a positively controlled opening process, and the three roof parts being embodied in such a way that they can be pivoted together about a main bearing counter to a direction of travel, and it being possible to transfer the front roof part and the central roof part in the same direction over the rear roof part, which can be rotated into a folded-over position, into a stowing position. To avoid other moving closure means, the roof segment is advantageously secured on the central roof part by means of centering pins, stops furthermore being provided, by means of which the roof segment and the central roof part are guided relative to one another in a final part of the closing movement of the retractable top, with the result that the centering pins engage precisely.
In order to ensure particularly advantageous control of the parts of the top, especially in relation to the beginning and end of the opening movement of the top, a driving device is provided which, on the one hand, ensures advantageous distribution, by means of an intermediate link, a control rod and cross links, of a force introduced into the driving device between the two main links and, on the other hand, allows at least one of the two main links to perform a superimposed translatory motion and rotary motion relative to a swivel joint fixed to the main bearing during the movement of the top.
Further advantageous refinements and developments of a retractable top according to the invention are the subject matter of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention described below and of the dependent claims.
An embodiment of a retractable top according to the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings.